Arch-support.



J. H. CLUNE.

ARCH SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED 050.22, 1914.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

WITNESSES: IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNE Y3 JOHN Hr CLUNE, 0F SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

' anon-sorrow.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

Application filed December 22, 1914. Serial No. 878,523.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN 1-1.. CLUNE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city of Springfield, county of Hampden, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Arch-Supports, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to arch supports.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved and efficient device for supporting the arch or instep portion of the foot.

Anotherobject is to provide a support of the class mentioned which is simple and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

A further object is to provide an arch support which may be applied externally to the shoe.

Heretofore, it has been usual to place the support within the shoe which is uncomfortable, or to provide specially made shoes which are very expensive. Frequently, shoes, of .larger size than would ordinarily be worn, have to be used in order to provide room for the arch support. My invention, however, may be employed on a perfectly fitting comfortable shoe such as the user would ordinarily wear. Thus for aslight expenditure he may have the benefit of an arch support While retaining all of the comforts of a well fitting shoe.

In general, my device comprises a plate of spring material, which is adapted to be secured between any of the plies of leather forming the heel of a shoe, and which underlies and resiliently bears upon the shank portion of the sole. Attached to this plate and to a portion of the heel is a depending plate having fixed thereto another spring plate which extends in an angular direction toward the extremity of the first named spring. The end of this angularly arranged spring is adapted torest in a pocket formed in the first named spring so that limited relative movement of the two members is permitted. The free extremities of both springs are adapted to bear or exert a pressure under the shank portion of the sole in a position directly underlying the instep so that the latter may be resiliently supported thereby.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein 1 show a preferred embodiment of my invention for the purposes of illustration, Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a shoe showing my invention applled thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan view of my arch support shown removed from the shoe; Fig. 3 is a side eleva tlonal view thereof; Fig. 4 is a sectional elevatlon taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 look mgin the direction of the arrows; Fig. 5 is a vlew similar to Fig. 4 illustrative of a modification.

Referring to the drawings in detail: 1 represents a flat strip of spring material which is inserted between the heel Z) and the shoe a. This strip 1 is formed as shown in Fig. 2 and is provided with a plurality of holes 11 through which suitable nails 16 (see Fig. 1) may be applied to secure the strip to the heel b. The strip 1 may be of any suitable shape but I prefer to. form it as shown in Fig. 2 where the strip has the same conformation as the heel. If desired a hole 10 may be provided in the strip 1 to receive a projecting tongue on-the heel b to aid further in securing the strip thereto.

Integrally formed with the strip 1 is a portion 2 which is arranged to extend outwardly from the heel to underlie and to bear upon the shank portion of the sole of the shoe a. The portion 2 is formed so that the end portion thereof presses upwardly on the shank portion of the sole at the point 0 which point directly underlies the arch or instep portion of the foot... This strip comprising the portions 1 and 2 is suitably tempered so that it acts resiliently and yield- .ingly upon the under portions of the shank of the sole. The end-of this strip is bent as shown at 3 to form a pocket 4 for a purpose to be described. 7

Secured to the plate 1 in any suitable manner is a depending plate 5. The latter is provided with a plurality of holes 14 for the insertion of nails 17 whereby the plate 5 may be suitably secured to the inner face of the heel 1). One means of securing the l plate 5 to the strip 1 is illustrated in- Fig. 4. The plate 5 is formed with several tongues 12 which extend upwardly through the holes in plate 1 and are riveted thereto as shown. Upon the lower portion of the plate 5 are a pair of spaced projecting lugs 13 which may be struck up from the plate asindicated in Figs. 2 and 1. Between these lugs is a spring member 71 which is fastened thereto by a square pin 6. The lat ter extends through the spring 7 and lugs 18 and may be headed over if desired. Thus the spring 7 is rigidly secured to the plate be formed as shown at 8 in Fig. 5 and secured to the plate by rivets 9. The spring 7 is so formed that it bears upwardly upon the lower portion of the member 2 which directly underlies the point 0. The end of the spring 7 is adapted to lie within the pocket 4: whereby the two springs 2 and 7 are held together in a manner to permit limited relative movement therebetween. Thus it is seen that the instep is supported by two springs which bear yieldingly on the shank portion of the sole at a point directly underlying the arch. Moreover, these spring members are angularly disposed one to the other so that a braced structure results to efficiently support the arch. Furthermore, the entire device is applied externally of the shoe and so acts in a comfortable manner to resiliently support the arch.

I am aware that many changes and modifications may be made in the structure described without departing from the scope of my invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. The combination with a shoe havin an outer sole and a rigidly attached heel, of a spring rigidly attached to said heel and having a portion extending forwardly to bear with resilient pressure against the under side of the shank portion of said outer sole, and a second spring fixed to said heel and arranged in angular relation to, and to bear upon the under side of, said first named spring.

2. The combination with ashoe having an outer sole and a rigidly attached heel, of a spring memberrigidly fixed thereto and having a forwardly extending fiexible'portion adapted to bear with resilient pressure against the under side of the shank portion of said outer sole, the spring member being bent over to form a pocket in said member, and a second spring member rigidly secured to said heel and extending upwardly in angular relation to and within said pocket in said first named spring member, whereby limited relative movement of said springs one to the other is permitted.

3. The combination in a shoe having an outer sole with a shank portion and a rigidly attached heel, of a spring secured to said heel having a portion extending forwardly therefrom adapted to bear. with resilient pressure on the under side of said shank portion, the spring being formed with a pocket in the free endthereof, a plate fixed to and depending from said spring, said plate being fixed to the inner face of said heel, and a second spring secured to said plate and having a portion extending forwardly and upwardly therefrom in inclined relation to said first named spring, the free end of said second spring adapted to lie within said pocket and to bear upon said first named spring, whereby a braced structure for the resilient support of the arch portion of the foot is provided.

4. The combination with a shoe having an outer sole and a rigidly attached heel portion, of a spring member rigidly fixed to the heel and having a forwardly extending fiexible portion adapted to exert an upward resilient pressure against the underside of the shank-portion of the outer sole, and a sec ond spring attached to the first mentioned member and extending forward in engaging relation to the forward underside portion of the springanember for bracing the spring member.

5. An arch support comprising a resilient plate adapted for attachment to the heel of a shoe and formed with a forwardly extend ing portion for engaging the lower side of the shank-portion of a shoe and a brace member attached to the plate and extending upwardly and forwardly into engagement with the forward underside of the plate.

6. An arch support comprising a resilient member having an upper curved surface, saidmember being adapted for attachment to the heel of thesshoe, and a brace attached to the resilient member and having a free end engaging the forward lower side of the resilient member for supporting that portion of said member. JOHN H. CLUNE.

Witnesses:

HARRY W. BOWEN,

H. E. HARTWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

" Washington, 10.0.. 

